Tulsa & Broken Arrow Estate Planning Attorney

Smart estate planning involves making use of a whole range of legal approaches to keeping wealth in the family and protecting your medical and financial dignity in the event you become incapacitated or disabled. By taking the time to get started on a comprehensive plan with the aid of a knowledgeable estate planning attorney today, you and your family will most certainly be able to avoid major headaches and financial stress down the line.

We have been helping Oklahoma families put together sound wills and trusts for over 25 years. We will help you create a detailed estate plan that meets your family’s needs and protects your dignity no matter what the future holds.

Wills & Trusts

There are many approaches to establishing a solid estate plan, but they all start with the same question: what’s a better choice for you, a will or a trust? The answer is: it depends.

If your estate planning needs are fairly simple and you don’t have much wealth tied up in real estate, small businesses, and other assets, you can often get by with just a will. A will isn’t as flexible as a trust, but it’s more cost-effective and takes less time to create. One drawback of establishing a will is that it will have to pass through probate court after your death.

Trusts, on the other hand, allow for much more customization in your planning, both while you’re still alive and after your death. You can establish trusts that allow someone else to manage your assets while still retaining them. This is especially useful in the case of sudden incapacitation. The other major advantage of a trust is that it is rarely subject to Oklahoma probate.

Probate

Probate is the process by which a will becomes legally closed in the State of Oklahoma, and it can be expensive and time-consuming if the person handling your will after your death doesn’t have legal representation. Trusts don’t need to go through probate, and this fact alone can make the added time and expense they require worth it for some families. Having a will or trust in place allows to you ensure that your property passes to your beneficiaries in accordance with your wishes, but an estate plan is about more than wealth alone.

We help those who have been named the executor of an estate satisfy all of the state requirements to the letter. We can help you track down beneficiaries, post legal notices for creditors, and defend a will in court if it is disputed. This process can sometimes be very complicated and contentious, which is why we strongly encourage you to contact us for help.

Oklahoma Gun Trusts

We also assist our clients with establishing gun trusts to protect their firearms from creditors after their passing, keeping this valuable property in the family for future generations to enjoy.

The right to bear arms is one of the most important freedoms granted to United States citizens by our founding fathers. The debate is hot about gun ownership and control, and as a result, firearm legislation has become a delicate battlefield. As an American citizen, you have the right to protect yourself, and we’re here to help you protect your rights. Creating a gun trust can help sidestep some of the legal transfer requirements upon the owner’s death, making it easier for those named in the trust to possess and use the specified weapons. Some trusts can even extend across multiple generations, ensuring your family’s protection for years to come.

Because of the vast expanse of state and federal weapons laws, it’s recommended to have an experienced Tulsa trusts lawyer help you create your gun trust. We’re here to clarify those laws and create a comprehensive legal document to further protect your Second Amendment rights.

Schedule Your Free Consultation Today!

None of us can anticipate what may happen in the future, which is why we urge you to plan your estate as soon as possible. Too often, we help clients whose family members neglected to create a will and the situation can be very distressing for all involved. Having to guess as to what their loved one would have wanted can add to their grief and cause much anxiety. Planning your estate now gives you and your family the gift of peace of mind and allows you to enjoy the present to the fullest.

Matthew E. Riggin Bankruptcy Attorney at Law offers dedicated legal representation in a number of different practice areas here at Matthew E. Riggin Bankruptcy Attorney at Law, including but not limited to Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and estate planning.